Weeds of Saudi Arabia

Agriculture was one of the priority areas where the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had invested millions of Riyals as part of its development program. Although the cultivation of new crops and the use of modern technology and equipments in agriculture fields have started only in recent decades, as in the case other parts of the world, cultivation is not new to Saudi Arabia too. Middle East in general and southern parts of Arabian Peninsula and East Africa in particular are widely regarded as one of the centers of origin of several crops, cereals and millets. Mountainous regions of Arabian Peninsula have a long history of cultivating Sorghum, Maize, Coffee, etc. for more than 3000 years or so. Hence the problems and challenges of cultivation, particularly of weeds in agriculture fields is as old as the history of cultivation, though the magnitude of problems of those days was significantly less compared to the problems that farmers face in recent decades.

Weeds may be annuals, biennials or perennials. They may be autotrophic, parasites or semi-parasites, competing with crops for space, food and light. Economic losses due to weed problems vary from country to country and from region to region and are estimated to be millions of dollars in countries such as USA and several countries in Europe. Weed eradication is one of the major tasks that farmers face in the present century. Weeds are usually not crop specific. Some of the weeds are noxious and are difficult to eradicate. They may be native or exotic, accidentally imported as contaminants. Timely eradication, especially removing weeds prior to the production of flowers or seeds is one of the best ways to remove weeds from the field. In a desert country like Saudi Arabia, encroachment of native wild species from desert habitats to a more adaptable or irrigated land is a common practice. However, not all wild species can be found in agriculture fields. Species with non-dormancy seeds and can produce flowers and seeds throughout the year will establish in agriculture fields. A checklist of weedy species found in the agriculture fields of Saudi Arabia is listed below.

Abutilon bidentatum

Abutilon figarianum

Abutilon fruticosum

Abutilon muticum

Abutilon pannosum

Acalypha ciliata

Achyranthes aspera

Aerva javanica

Agrostis viridis

Aizoon canariensis

Alhagi graecorum

Alkanna orientalis

Alternanthera pungens

Alternanthera repens

Althaea ludwigii

Amaranthus graecizans

Amaranthus lividus

Amaranthus spinosus

Amaranthus viridis

Anaglis arvensis

Anchusa arvensis

Anthemis cotula

Anthemis deserti

Anthemis malampodina

Anthemis pseudocotula

Argemone mexicana

Argemone ochraluca

Aristida adscensionis

Aristolochia bracteolata

Artemisia abyssinica

Arundo donax

Aster squamatus

Astragalus corrugatus

Astragalus fatmensis

Astragalus schimperi

Astragalus tribuloides

Astragalus voegelii

Asphodelus tenuifolius

Avena byzantina

Avena fatua

Avena sativa

Avena sterilis

Bacopa monnieri

Bassia eriophora

Bassia muricata

Bidens pilosa

Bidens biternata

Blumea gariepina

Boerhavia diffusa

Boerhavia repens

Brachiaria reptans

Calendula arvensis

Calotropis procera

Capsella bursa-pastoris

Cardaria draba

Carthamus oxycantha

Cassia nigricans

Cenchrus biflorus

Cenchrus ciliaris

Cenchrus echinatus

Cenchrus gracillimus

Cenchrus pennisetiformis

Cenchrus setigerus

Centurea pseudosinaica

Centurea sinaica

Chenopodium album

Chenopodium ambrosioides

Chenopodium botrys

Chenopodium glaucum

Chenopodium murale

Chenopodium schraderianus

Chenopodium vulvaria

Chloris barbata

Chloris gayana

Chloris pycnothrix

Chloris virgata

Chrozophora oblongifolia

Chrozophora tinctoria

Citrullus colocynthis

Cleome amblyocarpa

Cleome gynandra

Cleome rupicola

Cleome viscosa

Coccinia grandis

Commelina africana

Commelina albiscens

Commelina benghalensis

Commicarpus africanus

Commicarpus boissieri

Commicarpus helenae

Commicarpus sinuatus

Convolvulus arvensis

Convolvulus fatmensis

Conyza bonariensis

Conyza stricta

Corchorus depressus

Corchorus olitorius

Corchorus tridens

Corchorus trilocularis

Coronopus didymus

Cressa cretica

Cuscuta campestris

Cuscuta pedicellata

Cuscuta planiflora

Cynodon dactylon

Cyperus rotundus

Dactyloctenium aegyptium

Datura innoxia

Datura stramonium

Desmostachya bipinnata

Dichanthium annulatum

Digera muricata

Digitaria abyssinica

Digitaria ciliaris

Digitaria nodosa

Digitaria sanguinalis

Diplotaxis erucoides

Dipterygium glaucum

Echinochloa colona

Echinochloa crusgalli

Eclipta prostrata

Eleusine compressa

Eleusine indica

Emex spinosus

Eragrostis barrelieri

Eragrostis minor

Eragrostis papposa

Eragrostis pilosa

Erodium cicutarium

Erodium malacoides

Eruca sativa

Erucastrum arabicum

Euphorbia dracunculoides

Euphorbia granulata

Euphorbia helioscopia

Euphorbia hirta

Euphorbia hypercifolia

Euphorbia peplus

Euphorbia retusa

Euphorbia schimperiana

Fagonia bruguieri

Fagonia glutinosa

Fagonia indica

Fagonia ovalifolia

Flaveria trinervia

Gastrocotyle hispida

Geranium mascatense

Geranium ocellatum

Geranium trilophum

Geranium yemense

Gisekia pharnaceoides

Haplophyllum tuberculatum

Heliotropium bacciferum

Heliotropium curassavicum

Heliotropium europaeum

Heliotropium longiflorum

Hibiscus micrathus

Hibiscus trionum

Hibiscus vitifolius

Imperata cylindrical

Jatropha pelargonifolia

Jatropha spinosa

Jatropha villosa

Juncus acutus

Juncus rigidus

Lactuca serriola

Laggera decurrens

Lantana camara

Launaea capitata

Launaea inybacea

Launaea mucronata

Launaea nudicaulis

Launaea procumbens

Lepidium sativum

Leptochloa fusca

Lippia nodiflora

Lolium nodiflorum

Lolium perenne

Lolium persicum

Lolium rigidum

Lolium temulentum

Malva neglecta

Malva parviflora

Malva verticillata

Medicago laciniata

Medicago lupulina

Medicago orbicularis

Melilotus alba

Melilotus indica

Orobanche cernua

Orobanche ramosa

Oxalis corniculata

Panicum atrosanguineum

Panicum turgidum

Paronychia arabica

Paspalidium desertorum

Paspalum vaginatum

Peganum harmala

Phalaris minor

Phyla nodiflora

Phragmites australis

Phyllanthus maderaspatensis

Picris abyssinica

Picris cyanocarpa

Plantago lanceolata

Plantago major

Poa annua

Polygala erioptera

Polygonum argyrocoleum

Polypogon monspeliensis

Prosopis farcta

Portulaca oleracea

Portulaca quadrifida

Pulicaria crispa

Pupalia lappacea

Ranunculus muricatus

Reichardia tingitana

Rhynchosia minima

Ricinus communis

Rostraria cristata

Rostraria pumila

Rumex conglomerates

Rumex dentatus

Salsola imbricata

Salsola volkensii

Schouwia thebaica

Senecio schimperi

Senecio vulgaris

Senna alexandrina

Senna italica

Senna occidentalis

Setaria verticillata

Setaria viridis

Sinapis arvensis

Sisymbrium irio

Solanum coagulens

Solanum elaegnifolium

Solanum incanum

Solanum lutem

Solanum nigrum

Solanum glabratum

Solanum surratense

Solanum unguiculatum

Sochus asper

Sonchus oleraceus

Sorghum halepense

Spergula fallax

Spergularia bocconii

Spergularia diandra

Spergularia marina

Sporobolus spicatus

Stellaria media

Stellaria pallida

Stipa capensis

Striga hermonthica

Suaeda aegyptiaca

Tephrosia apollinea

Trianthema portulacastrum

Tribulus terrestris

Trichodesma africana

Trigonella anguina

Trigonella hamosa

Trigonella stellata

Typha domingensis

Urospermum picroides

Verbesina encelioides

Veronica polita

Vicia sativa

Withania somnifera

Xanthium brasilicum

Xanthium spinosum

Zaleya pentendra

Zygophyllum album

Zygophyllum coccineum

Zygophyllum decumbens

Zygophyllum propinquum

ssp. migahidii

Zygophyllum qatarense

Zygophyllum simplex

Malvaceae

-Malvaceae

-Euphorbiaceae

-Amaranthaceae

-Poaceae

-Aizoaceae

-Papilionaceae

-Boraginaceae

-Amaranthaceae

-Malvaceae

-Amaranthaceae

-Primulaceae

-Boraginaceae

-Asteraceae

-Papaveraceae

-Poaceae

-Aristolochiaceae

-Asteraceae

-Poaceae

-Asteraceae

-Papilionaceae

-Asphodelaceae

-Poaceae

-Scrophulariaceae

-Chenopodiaceae

-Asteraceae

-Nyctaginaceae

-Poaceae

-Asteraceae

-Asclepiadaceae

-Brassicaceae

-Asteraceae

-Caesalpiniaceae

-Poaceae

-Asteraceae

-Chenopodiaceae

-Poaceae

-Euphorbiaceae

-Cucurbitaceae

-Capparaceae

-Cucurbitaceae

-Commelinaceae

-Nyctaginaceae

-Convolvulaceae

-Asteraceae

-Tiliaceae

-Brassicaceae

-Convolvulaceae

-Cuscutaceae

-Poaceae

-Cyperaceae

-Poaceae

-Solanaceae

-Poaceae

-Amaranthaceae

-Poaceae

-Brassicaceae

-Capparaceae

-Poaceae

-Asteraceae

-Poaceae

-Polygonaceae

-Poaceae

-Geraniaceae

-Brassicaceae

-Euphorbiaceae

-Eupborbiaceae

-Euphorbiaceae

-Eupborbiaceae

-Zygophyllaceae

-Asteraceae

-Boraginaceae

-Geraniaceae

-Aizoaceae

-Rutaceae

-Boraginaceae

-Malvaceae

-Asteraceae

-Euphorbiaceae

-Juncaceae

-Asteraceae

-Verbenaceae

-Asteraceae

-Brassicaceae

-Poaceae

-Verbenaceae

-Poaceae

-Malvaceae

-Papilionaceae

-Orobanchaceae

-Oxalidaceae

-Poaceae

-Caryophyllaceae

-Poaceae

-Zygophyllaceae

-Poaceae

-Verbenaceae

-Poaceae

-Euphorbiaceae

-Asteraceae

-Plantaginaceae

-Poaceae

-Polygalaceae

-Poloygonaceae

-Poaceae

-Mimosaceae

-Portulacaceae

-Asteraceae

-Amaranthaceae

-Ranunculaceae

-Asteraceae

-Papilionaceae

-Euphorbiaceae

-Poaceae

-Polygonaceae

-Chenopodiaceae

-Brassicaceae

-Asteraceae

-Caesalpiniaceae

-Poaceae

-Brassicaceae

-Solanaceae

-Asteraceae

-Poaceae

-Caryophyllaceae

-Poaceae

-Caryophyllaceae

-Poaceae

-Scrophulariaceae

-Chenopodiaceae

-Papilionaceae

-Molluginaceae

-Zygophyllaceae

-Boraginaceae

-Papilionaceae

-Typhaceae

-Asteraceae

-Scrophulariaceae

-Papilionaceae

-Solanaceae

-Asteraceae

-Aizoaceae

-Zygophyllaceae

Weeds in a Date Palm Orchard.

Cenchrus ciliaris

Cynodon dactylon

Datura innoxia

Designed and maintained by Dr. Jacob Thomas, Herbarium (KSU), Dept. of Botany & Microbiology, College of Science,

King Saud University, Riyadh.

	Plant Diversity